pawl, detent, click, dog
(noun) a hinged catch that fits into a notch of a ratchet to move a wheel forward or prevent it from moving backward
Source: WordNet® 3.1
pawl (plural pawls)
A pivoted catch designed to fall into a notch on a ratchet wheel so as to allow movement in only one direction (e.g. on a windlass or in a clock mechanism), or alternatively to move the wheel in one direction.
A similar device to prevent motion in other mechanisms besides ratchets.
pawl (third-person singular simple present pawls, present participle pawling, simple past and past participle pawled)
(transitive) To stop with a pawl.
• Walp, plaw
Source: Wiktionary
Pawl, n. Etym: [W. pawl a pole, a stake. Cf. Pole a stake.] (Mach.)
Definition: A pivoted tongue, or sliding bolt, on one part of a machine, adapted to fall into notches, or interdental spaces, on another part, as a ratchet wheel, in such a manner as to permit motion in one direction and prevent it in the reverse, as in a windlass; a catch, click, or detent. See Illust. of Ratchet Wheel. [Written also paul, or pall.] Pawl bitt (Naut.), a heavy timber, set abaft the windlass, to receive the strain of the pawls.
– Pawl rim or ring (Naut.), a stationary metallic ring surrounding the base of a capstan, having notches for the pawls to catch in.
Pawl, v. t.
Definition: To stop with a pawl; to drop the pawls off. To pawl the capstan. See under Capstan.
Source: Webster’s Unabridged Dictionary 1913 Edition
29 May 2025
(adjective) characterized by careful evaluation and judgment; “a critical reading”; “a critical dissertation”; “a critical analysis of Melville’s writings”
The first coffee-house in Mecca dates back to the 1510s. The beverage was in Turkey by the 1530s. It appeared in Europe circa 1515-1519 and was introduced to England by 1650. By 1675 the country had more than 3,000 coffee houses, and coffee had replaced beer as a breakfast drink.
